Forum of Azerbaijani civil society calls on authorities to ensure conditions for NGOs

The activities of independent institutions of Azerbaijan are paralyzed. This was stated by participants of the forum, organized by the Civil Society Platform. They put forward the recommendations to address the problems of non-governmental organizations and the creation of normal conditions for their activities.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the creation of the public association "Civil Society Platform" (CSP) was announced on February 10. Its founders announced the lack of political objectives of the association.

According to Azer Mekhtiev, Chairman of the Centre for Economic Initiatives, in recent years, Azerbaijan has carried out administrative interference in the activities of NGOs, tightened responsibility for their actions, and brought the reactionary amendments to the laws.

Khalid Agaliev, a member of the "Civil Society Platform", has noted that NGOs actually do not have access to grants.

In particular, tax sanctions were imposed on the "Resource Centre for Democracy and Human Rights", the Association of Lawyers of Azerbaijan, the Media Rights Institute, the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Training, and the Centre for Democratic Journalism.

The authorities reject criticism. So, Alimamed Nuriev, a member of the Council for State Support of NGOs, believes that many problems of NGOs in Azerbaijan have been already solved.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.